Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing (With Roasted Garlic)
Creamy, tangy, and higher in protein, this Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing gets next level flavor from the addition of roasted garlic and fresh herbs. Drizzle it on salads, use it as a dip for your raw veggies, or serve it with wings on game day!
In This Article
Nutritional Benefits
The straining process that Greek Yogurt undergoes creates a product that is high in protein and rich in probiotics (1). A wonderful combination of nutrients that support, in particular, digestion, muscle function and bone health (1).
Greek yogurt is also an excellent source of minerals like calcium, that support bone mineral density and long-term bone health (1,2), phosphorus, which is essential for cellular function (2,3), potassium, great for cardiovascular health (2,4) and zinc, which is essential for the function of the immune system (2,5).
In addition to all of that, this fantastic functional food also provides a good amount of vitamins A, B2 and B12, which give us antioxidant protection in addition to supporting vision, cell and tissue health, metabolic function and immune health (2).
Ingredients – What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
This homemade ranch dressing delivers that classic, creamy, herbaceous flavor using ingredients found at grocery stores and some basic pantry staples. Roasting the garlic does take a little time, but once it’s done, the dressing comes together in minutes. Not a fan of extra steps? The roasted garlic is easily replaced with garlic powder to make this recipe even quicker.
- Full fat Greek yogurt – the key ingredient that provides the base for the dressing. Why not make your own! Try my delicious, thick and creamy Instant Pot Greek Yogurt recipe.
- Fresh garlic – once roasted this is the secret ingredient that makes this dressing so savoury. You won’t get this much deliciousness in a store-bought ranch!
- Buttermilk – for that authentic ranch flavor. It also helps to thin out the dressing and make it a pourable consistency.
- Herbs – fresh dill, fresh chives, and fresh parsley add those herby notes and provide the classic ranch flavor.
- Onion powder – adds plenty of pungency along with the garlic.
- Apple cider vinegar – lemon juice is the perfect replacement if you don’t have vinegar on hand.
- Dijon mustard – adds plenty of tang and a slight spiciness to the dressing.
- Sea salt or kosher salt – enhances and balances all the other flavours.
- Black pepper – adds a tiny touch of spice.
- Olive oil – adds flavor and colour to the garlic as it roasts.
The dressing can be used straight away. However, allowing it to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes will give the herbs and garlic time to meld together. This will give you a dressing with a significantly more complex flavour profile.
How To Make This Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing
While the roasted garlic takes 30 minutes in the oven, the whole recipe is only 5 minutes of active prep time! If you’re planning to use this dressing for a get together and you’re short on time, roast the garlic a day or two ahead and simply keep it in the fridge until it’s needed.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F/200ºC.
- Take a whole head of garlic and use a sharp knife to slice off the top quarter (the very top of the bulb) to expose the ends of the cloves.
- Place the cut garlic on a sheet of parchment/baking paper or aluminium foil and drizzle the exposed cloves with a teaspoon or two of olive oil.
- Wrap the foil or parchment paper around the garlic head to create a small packet.
- Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until the cloves are soft and easily squeezed out. Check at the 25-minute mark because burnt garlic will give you a bitter dressing.
- Remove the oven and take the garlic out of its packet. Sit it on a plate to cool slightly. This only takes a few minutes.
- Squeeze the garlic out of the skin into a medium-sized bowl. Add in a little yogurt and mix them together until well combined.
- Add in the remainder of the yogurt and all the other dressing ingredients, stir well to combine.
The dressing can be used straight away. However, allowing it to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes will give the herbs and garlic time to meld together. This will give you a dressing with a significantly more complex flavour profile.
Substitutions And Variations
I have lots of fresh herbs in the garden so love to use them up. That said, they’re easily replaced with dried herbs if preferred. When substituting dried herbs for fresh, remember that the dried varieties are typically three times more potent due to their concentrated flavour. As such I suggest:
- 1 tsp of dried dill
- 1 tsp dried chives
- 1 tsp dried parsley
Prefer a quicker and easier dressing? Swap out the head of roasted garlic for 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
A full-fat plain Greek yogurt will provide the best texture for this recipe but it can be swapped with a low fat version if preferred.
If you’re dairy free – simply swap to your favourite dairy-free plain yogurt of choice. For the buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to ⅓ cup dairy free milk. Let sit for 5-10 minutes then add to the dressing as your dairy-free buttermilk.
Tips For Success With This Recipe
Don’t burn the garlic! Check the garlic at the 25-minute mark to ensure it is softening, not burning. This is especially important if your oven runs hot.
While the buttermilk is not entirely necessary it does help thin out the dressing. It adds plenty of flavour too so don’t be tempted to skip it.
Storing/Make Ahead
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. This is also an excellent make ahead dressing as the flavours only intensify.
FAQ
Yes! This provides a delicious, high-protein base for a ranch dressing. It gives it plenty of tang too.
You can, but a full-fat plain Greek yogurt will provide the best flavor and texture.
More Dressing Recipes
- Orange Vinaigrette
- Miso Tahini Dressing
- Easy Tzatziki Recipe (this makes a fabulous thick and creamy dressing!)
If you try this recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment, rate it, and remember to tag @wholenaturalkitchen in your pics or reels on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok!
Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing (With Roasted Garlic)
Equipment
- 1 Medium-sized bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup full fat Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- 1 head garlic (see note 1)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juicer
- 1.5 tbsp dill (see note 2)
- 1.5 tbsp dried chives
- 1.5 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp sea salt or kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F/200ºC.
- Take a whole head of garlic and use a sharp knife to slice off the top quarter (the very top of the bulb) to expose the ends of the cloves.
- Place the cut garlic on a sheet of parchment/baking paper or aluminium foil and drizzle the exposed cloves with a teaspoon or two of olive oil.
- Wrap the foil or parchment paper around the garlic head to create a small packet.
- Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until the cloves are soft and easily squeezed out. Check at the 25-minute mark because burnt garlic will give you a bitter dressing.
- Remove the oven and take the garlic out of its packet. Sit it on a plate to cool slightly. This only takes a few minutes.
- Squeeze the garlic out of the skin into a medium-sized bowl. Add in a little yogurt and mix them together until well combined.
- Add in the remainder of the yogurt and all the other dressing ingredients, stir well to combine.
- The dressing can be used straight away. However, allowing it to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes will give the herbs and garlic time to meld together. This will give you a dressing with a significantly more complex flavour profile.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Gabby Campbell
Gabby is a degree qualified Naturopath/Nutritionist (BHSc Nat) with a love of all whole foods. She started her Naturopathic career in clinical practice before making the move to recipe development and online education – a result of wanting to combat the misinformation that abounds on the internet about food and health. Whole Natural Kitchen aims to transform the way you think about healthy eating by helping you embrace an abundance of nutritious foods while leaving the health fads behind. MORE ABOUT GABBY